Massive arrests and searches of anarchists in Ukraine

On the 6th of December, police and Ukrainian Security Forces arrested and searched anarchists in Kyiv, Lviv and Dnipro.

In Kiev, police searched the residence of Sergey Kovalenko (name and last name are changed). Sergey was not at home at that time. Law enforcement officers asked the mother of the activist to recognize her son on the video with the beating of Dmytro Verbych, former member of neo-nazi group C14, that happened on the 2d of May. Earlier, in April 2018, Sergey and her wife Svetlana (name is changed) were arrested during the action of solidarity with workers of Mykolaiv Shipbuilding factory. Also, police searched and interrogated animal rights and eco-activist Anna Luhova (name is changed). Anna was threatened with opening of a criminal case (296, 187, 263 of Ukrainian Criminal Code – hooliganism, brigandage, and illegal weapon possession), if she refuse to give information about members of the anarchist movement in Ukraine.

In Lviv, Ukrainian Security Forces and police searched flats of Taras Bohay and Oleh Kordiaka, members of Ecological Platform and Black Flag organizations. Law enforcement officers confiscated their gadgets and a couple of stickers. Police interfered with video recording of the search and didn’t allow a lawyer to enter the room. Officers claimed that they seek for original recordings of the Dmytriy Verbych assault.

In Dnipro, police arrested three ecoactivists that participated in summer ecological camp “Huha” organized by Ecological Platform (Lviv) and Ecological Action (Kharkiv). On the 3d of August, 7 a.m., 4 police officers and 6 unidentified men in military suits entered the camping site. Police videotaped participants and collected personal information of activists appealing to a fake investigation of a murder case in a nearby village. During interrogation, activists were questioned about assault on Dmytro Verbych and their participation in summer ecological camp.

All anarchists were questioned about Sergey Kovalenko and Belorussian political ex-convict Alexander Frantskevich.

Activities of Ukrainian law enforcement system eloquently demonstrate that authorities is ready to prosecute any socially active individuals. Ukrainian Security Forces and police repeatedly cover-up and ignore numerous assaults on anarchists, social activists, feminists, LGBTQ-activists and human rights activist committed by neo-nazi groups. In contrast, they use an assault on Dmytro Verbych as a formal excuse for repressions against anarchists and social activists that take care of ecological and workers’ problems.
From ABC Ukraine